Removing a hinge pin from a door hinge is typically required if the door is to be removed from the door frame in which it is mounted. The process of removing the hinge pin may be difficult as some door hinges have been manufactured with close manufacturing tolerances to provide a smooth opening door without any play in the hinges. In other cases, hinge pin removal may be difficult due to poor manufacturing practices which results in the hinge pin fitting tighter than was desired due to poor fitting or misaligned hinge sections. Still other hinges have hinge pins that are intentionally difficult to remove to aid in door security. These hinges use pins that have to be driven into the hinge knuckles due to an interference fit that has been designed into the hinge assembly. The hinge pin may also include a knurled section close to the pin head that increases the outside diameter of the pin and causes the pin to bite into the hinge knuckle as it is driven into the hinge knuckle. Still other hinges use a closed bottom knuckle or a pressed-in cap in the bottom knuckle of the hinge. In hinge assemblies such as this, a punch is prevented from being able to drive out the pin by striking on the bottom of the pin.
Although hinge pin removal is made difficult for the reasons previously mentioned, there are few tools available to assist in hinge pin removal. The person attempting hinge pin removal typically uses one of two different methods to remove the hinge pin. If the hinge bottom knuckle is not capped and remains open, a long shafted tool such as a punch or a nail can be inserted into the knuckle to drive the pin upwardly by striking on the bottom of the pin through the punch or the nail. If the hinge knuckle is capped or if a suitable long shafted tool is not available for driving out the hinge pin, the person attempting the hinge pin removal must try to drive the pin upwardly by pounding a flat tool such as a screwdriver head between the underside of the hinge pin head and the adjacent hinge knuckle.
Both common hinge pin removal processes are problematic and may result in damage to the hinge, as well as to the door or door frame molding.
The process of removing a pin by forcing the pin upwardly through the use of a punch or a nail can be damaging to the door or the molding. A nail or punch inserted into the bottom hinge knuckle will, of course, extend straight down from the hinge knuckle. The hinge knuckles are typically immediately adjacent to the door outer surface and the door frame molding. The hinge knuckles also typically extend into the interior of the room only a small amount. Because of this, the punch or nail inserted into the knuckle will, by necessity, remain dangerously close to the door outer surface and the door frame molding. The act of striking the nail or punch with a hammer is awkward due to the necessity to swing the hammer upwardly. Damage to the door and door frame molding is common because of the hammer often striking the door or frame molding in place of the nail or punch. Finger injuries are also common from this procedure.
In the second common hinge pin removal procedure, the person attempting the hinge pin removal must try to drive the pin upwardly by pounding a flat tool such as the bladed head of a screwdriver between the underside of the hinge pin head and the adjacent hinge knuckle. The blade must be driven between the pin head and the hinge top knuckle. There is typically no gap between the pin head and the knuckle within which to initially insert the blade. Because of this, hammer strikes often cause the screw driver to deflect off the pin and into the door or door frame. Even if the worker keeps the bladed head of the screwdriver properly in place on the pin while driving the pin upward, there will be some metal deformation from the process which will disfigure the hinge pin head and the hinge top knuckle. There also may be some paint chipping if the hinges have been painted.
Because of the previously mentioned reasons, there is a need for a hinge pin removal tool that allows the user to drive the pin upwardly by striking the bottom of the pin without potentially causing damage to the door or door frame molding. There is a further need that the tool provide a hand hold position which places the hand in a protected position where it unlikely will be hit by a striking hammer. There is a further need for a hinge pin removal tool that can easily be urged between the pin head and the top hinge knuckle to lift the pin head from the position where the pin head is adjacent to the top hinge knuckle. There is a need for a hinge pin removal tool that performs this task without causing damage to the hinge and the hinge pin, as well as to the door and door frame. There is a further need for a hinge pin tool that can securely engage the shaft of a hinge pin immediately below the pin head during the removal process. There is still a further need for a hinge pin tool that accommodates different sized hinge pins so as to be an effective hinge pin removal tool for doors of all sizes and weights.